


MENTION WE LOVED, KNOW IT WAS ENOUGH TO LINGER

by drowninginspace



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff, Secret Relationship, TRC Big Bang 2019, and some angst, not really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-01-25 15:51:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18577654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drowninginspace/pseuds/drowninginspace
Summary: Mention our ghosts,our knotted spines.The distance of our hands.We are graveyards reaching,with haunted bones.We endure.- MENTION WE LOVED, KNOW IT WAS ENOUGH TO LINGER | P.D (VIA LOSTCAP)Or the story of how Gansey’s students realized he had a not-so-secret girlfriend and set about trying to find her.





	1. Prologue

**‘What do you think the stars wish for then?’**  
**‘‘A softer beginning.’’**  
**[\- A KINDER END | P.D (VIA LOSTCAP)](https://lostcap.tumblr.com/post/148101165428/what-do-you-think-the-stars-wish-for-then-a) **  


___________________

Richard Campbell Gansey III had a girlfriend, something that was unbeknownst to his students for many months. It wasn’t a secret necessarily, as they had previously thought. The fact just hadn’t come up, as all the classes were spent discussing wars and treaties and discussions and everything in between. However, after she was brought up, it seemed as if she was everywhere, discussed just as much as the class’ syllabus. After that, the students of Tuma University had forgotten how many times Professor Gansey (please, just Gansey) had mentioned his girlfriend. In the beginning it had been fascinating, something each student looked out for, hanging onto every little crumb of detail that was given to them. After all, it was very unlikely for Gansey to talk about anything other than History and Glendower. 

It was for that exact reason that Blue Sargent had become a myth on campus, a revered deity that no one had seen but believed in nonetheless. 

Her first mention, in an unnaturally cheerful Saturday morning, brought about a rainstorm of reactions from those assembled, all of whom were at the very least vaguely in love with the aforementioned Richard Campbell Gansey III. When the professor rushed into class 10 minutes late, rumpled and apologizing profusely, he happened to mention some friends as the reason. 

To clarify, his actual words were: “I’m terribly sorry, I met up with old friends last night and lost track of time. Shall we continue where we left off last class? The importance of the war of the roses cannot be overstated because…”

Truth be told, not one student in that pivotal (and quite frankly, legendary) class could state why the war of the roses was important. They were too busy staring at the small bruises all over his neck, which were most definitely hickeys. An argument could be made against this but to do so would be very foolish. It also explained several other phenomenon, among them why Gansey had rejected multiple romantic offers from attractive, intelligent, and well liked professors. Unfortunately, it created a lot more problems than it solved, because, as mentioned before, Gansey only alluded her absentmindedly and they were left with breadcrumbs. 

In an effort to crack the code, a secret committee was created, dedicated to the sole purpose of piecing together clues to identify Gansey’s secret girlfriend. To be seated on the committee was a great honor, only bestowed to the best among the History majors, passed on from one graduating class to another. Committee hopefuls could bolster their chances of being considered by submitting whatever information Gansey told them about her to them, which would be added to the already intricate web that was in place. Going on 5 years, they had amassed a great deal of intriguing but highly irrelevant details, among them:

● She looked like a pygmy tyrant  
● She abhorred boat shoes  
● She carried a pink pocket knife  
● She drove like an old lady

That was all well and good but it didn’t bring them any closer to finding her identity, a quest that the History department had taken on with the same fervor and intensity that Gansey had searched for Glendower with. For the past three years, they had probed and prodded the charismatic if slightly eccentric professor, hoping that he’d outright say a name, something that could be accomplished with a quick google search. But Gansey’s obliviousness, something that students often sighed over, was an effective cockblock, putting an end to that mode of investigation before it even began. For many of them, Gansey’s mythical girlfriend and his ever blurry relationship status would be a thing of the past once they graduated, something to fantasize about when reality wasn’t going as planned. Or so these unfortunate souls thought.

You see, not many years after Gansey began teaching, the students began to see evidence of this secret girlfriend of his, the friends he mentioned casually in every other conversation, a secret life no one thought him capable of, yet something that suited who he was completely. It was nothing big, really. A glimpse of 2 figures, one with a neon orange polo shirt, walking into a pizza parlor, maybe a hug or two. But it was more than enough for the rumor mill to churn out theories in full force, feeding off of the many possibilities of who she was, how they met, and most importantly, what she thought about his sense of fashion.

As broke, overly caffeinated, sleep deprived college students, there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of ways to better use their time. Really, anything that wasn’t stalking their professor probably counted as a more efficient usage of their time. But, as previously stated, they were broke, overly caffeinated, sleep deprived college students, so they had no choice in any of this. When an extremely attractive, young professor shows up in the history department and volunteers his personal information without any force, threats, or kidnapping (please don’t ask, Beckie is very sensitive) involved, you take what you’re given and roll with it. And if every other department just happens to be enabling them, so be it. It’s not like they’ll get much out of it anyway.

This exact thought was running through the head of every member of the Dedicated and Intelligent Committee (yes, the acronym is DIC and yes, they were drunk at 2am when they came up with it), as they sat and went through another week’s worth of information to put up on the information board. The board---lovingly decorated with candids of Gansey in his entire polo collection--- mainly featured blurry pictures that could have either been the loch ness monster or a bush, a couple of coffee orders, and some stray napkins Ganey had used to wipe sauce off of his mysterious girlfriend’s face. An eclectic mix of information, yes. It would, however, one day be used to solve the greatest mystery known to mankind, so it was quite alright if they hit some bumps along the road.

What these poor fools didn’t know was that bumps in roads would be the least of their problems. Why you might ask? Well, because they were about to be hit by Hurricane Blue, a force of nature that left even Richard Campbell Gansey III in awe. After all, the magic of Blue Sargent is that you will encounter her full glory, lose all of your senses, and walk out of it a better person, if one with fewer brain cells--- a lesson which the much beloved Gansey most definitely learned. 

It’s very difficult to keep track of this story you see, the ley line being so unpredictable and time itself slipping out of anyone’s control. But there is one person who clearly remembers the night everything changed and the events that followed. He was and wasn’t there when it all happened. Watching it all, those students unaware that they were about to be graced with Blue Sargent in all her eternal glory.

The story you’re about to be told, it isn’t from his point of view. That’s quite impossible with the ley line as it is, as stated above. However, at the conclusion of our tale, you will meet him and then, and only then, will you understand. 

Understand what, you might ask? 

Everything. And nothing. And all of the in between. 

___________________

**"Sometimes it’s like breathing is a language my scarred lungs never learned to speak. And it’s not poetic, the ache. Of oxygen so often being lost in translation.**  
**‘But in the silence of my ragged breaths the distance from your inhales to exhales feels how poetry should feel.**  
**‘You are the softest loud I’ve known."**  
**[\- SOMETIMES IT’S LIKE BREATHING IS A LANGUAGE ONLY YOU CAN TEACH | P.D](https://lostcap.tumblr.com/post/126769133703/sometimes-its-like-breathing-is-a-language-my)**  



	2. Ronan

**"If I could rewrite our story,**  
**I’d erase our names from history,**  
**and carve them into stone instead.**  


**I’d rather us be forgotten together,**  
**than remembered apart."**  
**\- YOU’D FALL AND I’D JUMP | VIA P.D**  


___________________

It started off, as many things seem to, with Twitter. No, it wasn’t a huge expose involving 13 people, 5 major crimes and 2 mental breakdowns. It was just one very dead inside History major scrolling through her oh so good looking Professor’s twitter page. Eliza Turner didn’t have a polo shirt fetish, if that’s what you are currently wondering. Nothing of the sort. This story is safe for young readers, not without lack of trying by one Mr. Ronan Lynch of course. But that’s neither here nor there.

Going back to poor Eliza, she was scrolling through the black hole in an attempt to familiarize herself with topics that might interest him, in the hopes that the paper she would soon be writing would be looked at and graded favorably. She could, of course, have gone down the usual route of Owen Glendower, but struggled to come up with something to say that wasn’t overused and beaten and likely to make her seem like an idiot in front of the easily excitable Gansey.

Eliza was a smart girl, and was willing to go the extra mile for both her sanity and her grades. Which is why the gods above had blessed her for her dedication and her eyes had noticed something strange on the twitter profile.

On nearly every other tweet, someone by the name of @gr3ywarr1n had commented, usually in the form of insults or very thinly veiled barbs with some friendly reminders sprinkled in for variety. The latter was what threw Eliza off, since Gansey didn’t seem to be someone who could have a past or future. He existed in a solitary plane, an enigma without question or answer. But here was this man who seemed to share a history, a life in the way that only old friends could. To her sleep deprived and chocolate fueled brain, it seemed to be too much a coincidence.

Now, dear reader, we are all aware that it was not a coincidence. Ronan and Gansey were friends as sure as water was wet and the sky was blue and Adam was beautiful. The proof of this could be seen in many a burnt polos, late night grocery runs, and cars crashed.

But young Eliza was not aware of any of this, not in the slightest. So she clicked on his icon, went straight to the Instagram link in his bio, and spent the next 10 minutes scrolling past pictures of cores, corn, and cows. 

Just as she was about to give up, her eyes glanced over to a picture, a group photo in front of an old building. 

Maybe it was curiosity that led her to click on the picture. Maybe it was fate tugging her in the right direction. Maybe it was me and my desire for some mischief and entertainment. Whatever you may choose to believe, that photo was the entrance to a rabbit hole, 5 figures huddled together, in various stages of preparation for whatever was being done.

To the far left, two boys crowded over a book, fully absorbed in each other. One of them was caught mid explanation, mouth open, sleeves rolled back, and hands flying around in motion.The other one, the one with the shaved head, was looking directly at the talking boy, all of his attention solely focused on the words coming out of his mouth and the hands that were painting a mental image. 

Slightly to their left was a trio lounging under a tree, seemingly doing everything and nothing. One of them, an Asian looking boy, was leaning his back against the tree, a small bundled figure laying in his lap.

But it wasn’t them that caught Eliza’s attention, it was the figure next to them, leaning his head against the Asian boy and looking at the others fondly, his face twisted into a crooked smile. The ruffled hair, glasses on the bridge of his nose, private small just for himself. 

This was Richard Gansey in his natural habitat and he shone in a way he never did in the university. Maybe it was the lighting, maybe it was the youthfulness of it all, maybe it was Gansey himself, but it was as if someone had opened up a portal to another world right in front of her eyes, another life with other people they’d never meet. 

But never let it be said that Eliza was nothing if not persistent. Within minutes of processing this newfound knowledge, she was scrambling for her cellphone, calling anyone and everyone she could.

“Hey, I was just about to-“

“No,” Eliza interrupted Jen, “whatever you were about to say or do is now insignificant. I think I’ve made a breakthrough with you-know-what and I need a second pair of eyes to tell me I’m not seeing things.”

“I thought you were working on a paper?” The sounds of chatter could be heard in the background, all those people unaware of the bombshell that was about to drop on them.

“That isn’t important right now,” she replied, grabbing her hair in frustration. “What matters is that I found someone who has a shit ton of Gansey from back in the day on their Insta and it’s a group and literally everyone’s a guy except for one person who’s face I can’t make out.”

“Wait, so you mean-“

“Yeah, it’s probably the girlfriend. She’s in a lot of the pictures but I can’t see her face and she doesn’t have a profile that I know of so tell the others to start pulling their weight. I can’t be the only one doing the work.”

“Alright, so send me the Insta and anything else you found,” Jen said, “and I’ll get on that as soon as possible. Can you image being the class to finally do it? We’d be legends…”

The last part was said with a reverence reserved for deities, the very idea of it consuming them. But there was work to be done and people to alert, so they were shaken from their daydreams and went to work.

Within 24 hours, the entire school knew about the discovery and they had a system set up to maximize their efficiency. It was fascinating to watch, seeing what human beings could accomplish once they put their minds to it.

They had combed through Ronan’s Insta and Twitter for all it was worth and then divided up the work. Since actual Gansey content was few and far in between, small groups of 3 or 4 were formed to attack whatever they could get their hands on, dissecting everything within an inch of their lives. In the coming weeks, it would become very common to see various people from the History department clustered together, furiously analyzing the poor photo and overall providing the best entertainment the college had seen in days.

Some of them were more amusing than others

Anthony, for example, was the unfortunate soul who noticed the raven in almost every picture, often at the sidelines and staring at the viewer with an unsettling intensity. It was the focus of many heated debates with his friends, the raven adding more questions to their list than answers.

“Are you sure it’s a raven? Maybe it’s a crow? Crows are really common in Virginia, right?” Jenna questioned, head lifting up from one of her books. 

“Yes, they are,” Anthony shot back, already on the defensive. This wasn’t the first time someone had mocked him and his far fetched theories. “But I know it’s a raven, ok? I looked them up, there’s some slight differences and that bird is definitely a raven. And I was looking into where it was taken, right, maybe get some clues about who these people are? How they know the Professor? So, guess where he went to high school?” It was quite obvious that he was getting to what had set them off onto this discussion, something so urgent and burning that he was willing to discuss this with the committee out in the open.

“A private school, same as all the other rich kids?” Eliza asked, coming up to the table and pulling out a chair, pizza slice and laptop in hand.

“Not just any private school, an all boys one, Aglionby Academy. They’re called “Raven Boys” by the locals” he said, a look of triumph on his face.

“And that matters to us because…” Jenna trailed off, observing him from underneath the frame of her glasses, the look on her face as clear an indication as any that she saw no merit to his discovery.

“Hello? They’re called the Raven Boys? There’s a raven in practically every picture? Does no one but me see that!? There’s no way it’s all coincidence,” Anthony bellowed, drawing attention from more than a few people passing by.

Eliza waved her hand in a calming gesture, wiping her mouth with a napkin before speaking. “Calm down Sherlock, it’s great that you found out where they’re all taken. It’ll help us later on, I’m sure of it. But for now,” she said, glancing at both of them before pulling out an envelope of photographs, “let’s focus on these.”

Frowning, Jenna grabbed a bunch from the stack and flipped through them impatiently, before putting them back on the table. “Not to seem rude,” she stated, her countenance suggesting otherwise, “but why are we going over these again? We’ve seen them all a hundred times and nothing's coming up. I think we should stick to the old plan and wait for @gr3ywarr1n to post another picture.”

“And how long do you think that’ll take,” Eliza shot back, “6 months? A year? He isn’t reliable and you know it.”

Looking at the situation, Anthony decided to intervene before heads started to roll. He intended for all of them to be alive when he proved his theory correct and nothing, not even bickering friends, would get in his way. “So I’m assuming you wanted to do something with them?” he asked, taking a closer look at them before staring at her again. “Otherwise we wouldn’t be here.”

“Yeah,” she said, running a hand through her hair, “I did. Michael and Pia made two separate breakthroughs, but they tie in together. It’s major.” With her piece said, she picked up a cup of coffee and taking a sip, staring and them and observing their reactions.

“So you mean” Jenna ground out, “that you knew all of this when you came and yet I still had to listen to numbnuts and his stupid theories? Why weren’t we informed of this earlier?”

“Wait, I don’t see why I have to be dragged into this-”

“Because,” Eliza interrupted, “none of you asked or seemed very interested.”

“That isn’t for you to decide, I-”

“Regardless,” she continued as if she hadn’t cut Jenna off, “I’m telling you right now, aren’t I? Pia noticed something weird about where Gansey looks at in most of the pictures and Michael…”

And that’s how it went for the next few hours, Eliza filling in the other two on what was happening, briefing them through all they needed to know in order to make the final reveal. Pia realized that in many of the pictures he was in, it was of a group of 3 or 4 boys, with Gansey always looking at something or someone off camera, a smile lighting up his entire face. That alone wasn’t much of a cause for celebration. However, Michael, a twitchy and eccentric junior, had pointed out that out of the entire friend group, there was one person who never seemed to be clearly captured. A little bit of quick math lead to the conclusion that the mysterious figure was his significant other, with everyone else already identified and no other person constantly being seen in close and intimate candids with Gansey.

“So basically,” Eliza concluded, leaning back against her chair, “the one person who wasn’t clearly seen or identified in any of the pics is the one most likely to be his girlfriend. Yay us!”

Sighing, Jenna looked up at the sky, as if pleading for mercy. “Just once, I’d like to have this be easy in life, Just once.”

“Cheer up!” Anthony said, energized from the revelation, “there can’t be that many short, mysterious, Richard Campbell Gansey III loving women out there, can there?”

“More of them than you’d think,” Jenna replied, smirking. “Just look at Eliza.”

“Ha ha, that’s so funny!” the other girl snarked back, “you are so right!.” Turning serious, she observed the pictures one last time. “But truthfully speaking, I didn’t think that this would be the person we were looking for. It’s dumb but I was expecting some long legged blonde, not…”

“A short stubby creature?” Anthony supplied, pulling out a specific photo. This one had the whole gang together, chainsaw peering over Ronan’s shoulder and blue in Gansey’s giant winter coat. “Yeah, I know it’s surprising. But it’s not really that surprising if she’s secretly a rave-”

“Oh my god!”

“Just be quiet already!”

While his friends were bombarding him with insults and threats of bodily harm, they failed to notice that their favorite Professor had walked passed them, and glancing over the photos, leaned over their table to look.

By the time they realized who was with them, it was too late, Gansey already browsing through the collection of pictures in front of them. As he reached for the one Anthony was looking at earlier, the trio held their breath. They didn’t know how long he’d been there or how much he’d heard but if it was even a sliver of what they’d discussed, their careers, their lives, everything, it would be over. If only they’d been a bit more careful, taken precautions against-

As all these thoughts were running in their heads, Gansy looked up from the picture and smiled. It was very starling and none of them were sure what to do. What came out of his mouth next was worse. 

“I see you’ve found Ronan’s collection of obscure and hazy photographs. They’re so bad because he doesn't understand technology, I’m afraid. But Adam and Matthew don’t seem to mind, and as his only followers, their opinions are the only ones that count, don’t they?”

And then, finally, the pièce de résistance.

Pointing at the raven, looking Anthony directly in the eye, he added, “At least Chainsaw looks good. He’s the best looking one out of all of us, don’t you think so? You don’t mind if I take this with me, do you? I haven’t seen them in so long, I’d like to take this everywhere with me.” 

Not waiting for a reply, he smiled that disarming smile of his, put the picture in his coat pocket, and walked away, completely unaware of the destruction he had left in his wake.

Recovering from what had just occurred, Anthony shook his said and turned around to look at Jenna and Eliza, who seemed to be in the same dazed state he was in.

And then he said the nine words that they least wanted to hear at this moment.

“I told you it was all about the raven.”

___________________

**"The theory of us;**  
**We began, as endings do, after.**  
**We lived, as heroes do, dying.**  
**We ended, as beginnings do, before."**  
**[\- WE’RE REMEMBERED, AS STORIES ARE, FORGOTTEN | P.D](https://lostcap.tumblr.com/post/117205423188/the-theory-of-us-we-began-as-endings-do)**  



	3. Adam

**"If there ever comes a day**  
**that I am asked how it felt to love you,**  
**I will say only this: It feels like now.**  
**For I will be yours, even then.**  


**Inhale. Exhale.**  
**You’ve always been like breathing."**  
**[\- #12 OF LETTERS NEVER WRITTEN // WORDS UNREAD | P.D](https://lostcap.tumblr.com/post/105736323868/if-there-ever-comes-a-day-that-i-am-asked-how-it)**  


___________________

Thank you for joining me once again to hear this tale being told. I’m sure many of you were confused when we last saw each other. After all, how do our resistant detectives finding out Chainsaw’s name have to do with figuring out Blue’s identity? And you’re right. It doesn’t.

You see, that occurrence opened up their eyes and minds and hearts to the fact that there were a few people they had neglected in their quest to find the mysterious girlfriend. People who, as you and I know, are just as important to Gansey as Blue is. But the Nancy Drew Crew didn’t know that. So upon recovering from the bombshell dropped on them, they immediately came to the consensus that investigating these other friends would bring them to their target eventually. The one that didn’t have a name yet. That small fact, they agreed, might be hindering their investigative efforts a little bit. Just the slightest, not much of course. Who needs a name when you have her used napkins and crumpled up grocery list. 

Regardless, fate was on their side that Monday morning the week after, bright and early at 8 am. I like to think that I played a part in convincing fate to give them a slight push but that’s not here nor there. What matters is that Michael and Pia were both in line behind him that day in a small independent coffee shop, intending to get their orders and then dash over to the library, where the rest of their friends were studying for a major test coming up soon. Well, that was their original plan. As you’ll see, they got sidetracked and decided that the coffee shop held more appeal at the moment than the library. They might have bombed the test a week later but sacrifices had to be made. I’m sure you’re not wondering what caused them to make that decision but I’ll tell you anyway. 

They stood in line at the small coffee shop, one they’d never been to before, impatient and sleepy, wanting the day to be over when it'd barely even begun. Their go to coffeeshop was normally Starbucks but today was not the day for that kind of experience. Taking one look at the long line, they immediately turned around and walked in the other direction, toward the small shop they knew existed but had never tried. So they entered, stood in line, and were just about to doze off when they heard an all too familiar voice speak up.

“How are you, Brianna? I hope you had a good weekend.”

The shock of hearing Gansey’s voice made them shoot their heads up to take a look in a way that was very conspicuous but that couldn’t be thought about at the moment. Because it was Gansey at the counter, giving his order to the Barista and chatting with her as if they’d known each other forever. By the time the shock had faded, they were able to catch the tale end of Brianna’s reply and Gansey’s response. 

“Chem sucked but I can’t really do anything about that. What about you? Have you seen Blue lately?”

And suddenly the whole world stopped. 

“Jane’s fine-”

And then it shattered. 

“And it’s ok but her birthday’s coming up and I don’t know what she’d like this year so I need Adam’s help because they’re basically the same person when it comes to gifts.” 

Unbeknownst to Gansey, he had completely changed their world, putting it together only to break it again in the span of a minute. The mysterious girlfriend was apparently called both Blue and Jane and now an Adam was involved and they’d be damned if they missed whatever else was about to be revealed in this tiny cafe. 

“Do you want to order for him now or wait until he comes in?”

“I’ll order the *insert name of coffee* for now and-”

“Typical behavior of the 1%, ordering peasants around and expecting us to be grateful for your guidance. What would the formidable Queen of the Pygmy Tyrants have to say about this?”

Swirling around very conspicuously, the students saw a man unlike anyone they’d ever seen before, something out of legends and fairytales and myths. Feathery brown hair, cheekbones sculpted by the gods, and cerulean eyes that could see through your very soul. But it wasn’t just his looks, although they certainly didn't hurt. It was the aura he gave off, as if you had arrived exactly where you wanted to be, a welcoming pair of arms ready with a hug and a glass of lemonade. Looking very tired with eye bags for days, he had a face of an angel with a soul of saint, you could just tell.

And it made all the sense in the world that said angel-saint was directing his words at Gansey, walking towards him with an easy smile and open arms, the worldwide gesture of friends that haven’t seen each other for some time, whether it be 2 minutes or 2 months.

“Purposefully misinterpreting my words, Adam?” Gansey asked, handing him his drink, taking in the sight of his long time friend. “Either way, Jane wouldn’t care. She’d be too busy lecturing you on the dangers of participating in the standards perpetuated by toxic masculinity, as seen by the kegs of beer you were posing next to in your last instagram post.” Taking a sip of his coffee and moving towards a table near the window, he added, “which she will find out through an anonymous source, of course.”

The slight pause after that sentence indicated who exactly would be the anonymous source, and judging by the way it was said, there would be much hell to pay if that bit of information ever got out.

With that in mind, Michael and Pia turned towards the man, Adam, waiting for his reply, the ball now obviously in his court.

“I understand your concern but perhaps you should worry about yourself? I happen to have some evidence that your consumed Starbucks not too long ago and you know how she feels about consuming goods from major corporations and…”

The rest of his comeback was most likely just formidable as Gansey’s had been but their turn on line had come and unless they wanted their cover to be revealed, they had to go with the flow.

“Hi! My name’s Brianna! How may I help you today?” 

Their barista was calm and smiling, as if she didn’t have access to secrets that their friends would kill to be privy to. But it wasn’t the poor girl’s fault, she just happened to be blessed by fate. And if their plan worked, only if they played their cards right, Michael and Pia and the others, would also be in that same group.

“Hi! We’ll just have a medium iced caramel macchiato and a medium frozen hot chocolate,” Pia ordered, frantically gesturing to Michael, indicating that he should take the table next to the duo before it was occupied by someone else. 

Michael, who was a bit slow on the uptake, just looked at her in confusion.

“Sure, that’ll be $10.87 and I’ll have your order in a few minutes,” Brianna informed them, cheerfully taking the offered cash and moving towards the back of the kitchen.

By the time they received their orders and made their way to the waiting table, the conversation was past the catching up stage and deep into the heart of what it was meant to achieve. 

“-I just don’t know if that's good enough though!” Gansey whispered furiously, although was it really a whisper if it could be heard all throughout the cafe. “She doesn’t want anything fancy or unnecessary or expensive and that basically eliminates anything ever created!” It was clear by the red blotches of color on his face that this was something he had given much thought to and had decided that it was the root of all his problems.

“Gansey,” Adam said gently, reaching out to join their hands, “have you ever considered, even for a second, that you might be overthinking it all? Maybe? Perhaps?“

By the way Gansey looked back at him, blank faced and confused, it was apparent to everyone and their mother that that wasn’t the case.

Sighing, Adam ran a hand through his already tousled hair and spoke once again, his tone one that a wise and patient mother might use with her distressed, tantrum throwing child.

“Listen to me, I’m serious, just listen, ok? You guys, your relationship is unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I’m pretty sure everyone else can say the same. You’ve been through so much together, I doubt a stupid birthday present is going to change that. Trust in yourself and trust her. It’s what’s gotten you this far and it won’t fail you now.” The last was said with a reassuring smile and a soft squeeze of the hand, as if transferring some of his own confidence to Gansey.

If they had enough time, Pia and Michael would step back and take a moment to admire the beauty of this friendship, how they seemed to be different people around each other, soft and vulnerable and open and just more. The fact that even a stranger could tell this made it so much more poignant. But time waits for none and Gansey’s insecurities called them back to reality.

“But what if-” Gansey started, concern washed all over his face.

“Do you know what you said to me that time I asked you how you knew if Blue was your true love? remember the exact words to this day. You said “I suppose… she makes me quiet. Like Henrietta.” That’s when I knew it was true. Peace and quiet are something you’re always chasing Gansey. You can claim to love the adventure and the danger and the adrenaline all you want, but you want a place to call your own. Somewhere to come back to, after everything, somewhere to lay down your head and close your eyes, someone to share it with, a moment of silence hidden in all that chaos. She gives it you. And you give it to her. Never doubt that.”

The truth in that stunned Gansey, leaving him only able to stare at Adam.

And he wasn’t the only one.

The history in those words, both spoken and unspoken, was something Pia struggled to process. She knew that the mysterious girlfriend, Jane-yet-also-Blue, was someone very important to Gansey. They all did. After all, Gasney wasn’t a man of easy friendships, made and broken without a thought. He had few friends but they stood with him through thick and thin. It made sense that the same could be applied to those he involved himself with romantically. 

Yet, the depth of this was something that blew her mind. If what Adam was saying was anything to go by, they had suffered, the implication of the words leaving her to think that much more had gone on than they’d ever know. Finding out who she was, this mysterious love, was a game, a hobby, one that she cared about with a deep passion but a pastime nonetheless. As much as they told themselves that they would uncover all the secrets that made up Gansey, it was impossible. She knew that now. The others wouldn’t understand that but they didn’t need to know the full extent of this conversation. She could give them the bare minimum needed to find the mysterious Queen of the Pygmy Tyrants and they’d be satisfied.

Michael might be a problem but he had heard what she just heard. There was more to this man and his loved ones than anything they could try to uncover. As long as they stuck to just finding her identity, it would be alright. Leaving them alone to their own world was the least that they could do, the contentment in Gansey’s eyes whenever he spoke about Jane something she was loathe to ruin.

Speaking of…

“So the matching switchblade set is good enough”

“Yes, Gansey,” Adam encouraged, eyes soft and voice coaxing, “She’ll love it. You know how much she likes to put on a tough girl front.”

“It’s not a front if it’s true,” Gansey replied absentmindedly, flipping through his phone to show Adam a picture. “I’m thinking the Hot Pink one’s the way to go, I can get it engraved and everything.”

“There you go!” Adam cheered, clapping with enthusiasm. “Brianna, can we get a couple of donuts! Richard Campbell Gansey III just climbed his own personal Mt. Everest! The only way to go from here is up! Wait, let me text Ronan about this, he can give you more info on the features you should look for and…”

In the commotion of this celebration, no one noticed two college kids slip out and head towards the library, where they were met by their friends and and a flurry of information was exchanged.

And if a few weeks later, Gansey was proudly swinging a Hot Pink switchblade with indecipherable wording in his hands, well, only Pia and Michael knew the significance of that small piece of metal.

And if her friends found it weird that Pia complemented his switchblade on her way out of class and Gansey actually thanked her, going on to engage her in a full on conversation about gifts and crying and online ordering, well, it’s Pia and Gansey being Pia and Gansey.

And if one Blue Sargent facetimed one Dick Gansey late at night, thanking him for his gift and giving him one of his own? Well, no one knew but the two of them.

___________________

**”Sometimes it’s like breathing is a language my scarred lungs never learned to speak. And it’s not poetic, the ache. Of oxygen so often being lost in translation.**  


**But in the silence of my ragged breaths the distance from your inhales to exhales feels how poetry should feel.**  


**You are the softest loud I’ve known.”**  
**[\- SOMETIMES IT’S LIKE BREATHING IS A LANGUAGE ONLY YOU CAN TEACH | P.D](https://lostcap.tumblr.com/post/126769133703/sometimes-its-like-breathing-is-a-language-my)**  



	4. Henry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork for this chapter done by the lovely Yessie, who's yesterdoesart on tumblr and yesterdarling on instagram. Check her out! Meanwhile, [here's](https://yesterdoesart.tumblr.com/post/184404952553/mention-we-loved-know-it-was-enough) the link for the artwork! It's gorgeous and amazing and perfect for the scene!

**"We are older than our bones, our souls are comets that bodies cannot hold. And all the stars we once knew, have already died. But god, you look at me and it’s okay, that we can’t remember how to be alive. With our calloused fingers still gripping the sky, the heavens burn for you and I."**  
**[\- THE STORIES OF THE CONSTELLATIONS LINGER IN OUR LUNGS |  P.D](https://lostcap.tumblr.com/post/119879135003/we-are-older-than-our-bones-our-souls-are-comets)**  


___________________

By now, you’ve met the main 5 people in the council, all of them necessary for their goal to be achieved. Eliza, the mastermind; Jen, the skeptic; Anthony, the crackhead; Micheal, the oddball; and Pia, the believer. All of them important to the way everything played out. The former three made the breakthroughs and plowed closer to the goal. The latter two kept the group within the confines of basic human decency and ensured that no one would be harmed in this all encompassing quest, something that would be one day be a story they told friends at reunions or their children at bedtime.

But that’s many, many years from now and Jenna Rosenberg was just about to be introduced to another member of the Gangsey, although she wasn’t aware of this small detail at the moment. Pia and Michael’s introduction was a bit tumultuous but overall, it was a smooth landing that helped them to better understand their Professor and what made Gansey who he was.

For Jen, it would be almost the complete opposite. Never again in her life would she be so confounded by a single conversation, only to be even more perplexed when seeing the other half of the discussion in person. 

For someone who leaned more to the left side of the brain than right side, it was confounding. None of the pieces they had uncovered about Gansey fit together, at all. He wore polo shirts and khakis and big shoes and carried pink switchblades and apparently had a girlfriend named Blue-Jane and was friends with a gay catholic farmer that owned a pet chainsaw—-and everytime she thought about all of these little puzzle pieces together, her brain fried up and all she was left with was a sense of helplessness. 

Which was why the phone call was a much needed respite, a way to prove to the others that she could contribute an essential piece of information too. The little nuggets she would get from listening in might be what made the picture click, the random mess resembling a painting at last. They didn’t need to know that she only had this opportunity because she had ran out of all food in her apartment and after four straight days of eating cup noodles, it was time for actual nourishment. 

It was here, on her way to the small grocery store near campus that she overheard Gansey, his very distinct voice saying some very interesting sentences. Pushing her hunger and the naughing feeling in her stomach aside, she changed her path, striding towards where the conversation was taking place, his voice getting louder with every step she took. 

She slowed down her pace when she was within a few feet from Gansey, registering the conversation more clearly now, beginning a mental journey that would leave her much changed. 

“-know that it works?”

“...”

“Blue hates that shirt and you know it! She tired to set fire to it once!”

“...”

“So what you’re saying is that you weren’t actually being helpful before, am I correct?”

“...”

“What does a name have to do with how serious I am? Jane, Blue, it doesn’t change the fact that SHE’S COMING IN 5 HOURS AND I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO WEAR AND YOU’RE NOT HELPING ME!”

“...”

Right after that long rant and during an equally as long muffled silence from the other side of the conservation, Jenna took some time to think and process what she had just learned. Not only was Blue (was that really her name? It had to be, if it only came out during serious conversations) able to criticize Gansey’s impeccable collection of polo shirts, she was important enough that he would actively try to change his standard uniform for something that she would approve of. That wasn’t to say that making efforts for a significant other was something to be surprised of. Rather the opposite, it was something so ordinary and mundane and that it hardly seemed possible that Richard Campbell Gansey III would be affected by it. To imagine him without a neon polo shirt and his standard boat shoes? Unthinkable. He might as well be naked as far as she was concerned. And yet…

“It matters because I haven’t seen her in so long Henry. She hates the polo shirts and I don’t want to spend what little time we have fighting over something like that. But I didn’t bring something she’d approve of with me, so I’m pretty much out of options aren’t I? I called you to see if I could do anything with what I did have but that didn’t work out, now did it?” 

“...”

“ I’m sorry, what? Can you repeat that?”

“...”

“Then what have you been doing this whole time?!? If I’d known you were driving over, I would have done something else instead of waiting time on calling everyone and my mother.”

“...”

“In what world is that supposed to make me feel better?” 

“...”

“Yeah, you can park there. I’ll wait for you in the- Wait, I see your car, I’m coming over right now.”

“...”

“Shut up, Cheng, I don’t need to hear that from you. I get enough of it from the Wonder Twins.”

In the minute that it took to reach the *insert Henry’s car bc they mentioned it but I forgot*, Jen made a decision. If what happened next involved going back to Gansey apartment, or the bathroom, or some swanky boutique, or any other unreachable area, she’d leave. Her stomach was currently enacting itself alive and as much as she cared about Gansey, dying of starvation wouldn’t do her any favors in this quest. Besides, she’d gotten more than enough information to call today a success by anyone standards. It wasn’t a loss, no matter what her mind was telling her. 

But if she could go, if on the small off chance that it was possible to follow them to wherever they were going, she would seize that opportunity for all it’s worth. Her friends thought she was a fanatic, like Eliza was or maybe even Anthony, but she wasn’t, not really. 

High school, it was tough. Single mother, two part time jobs, scholarships are her only chance at higher education. She worked day and night, slaving away under the futile hope that all of this would be worth it one day. And it was. She was here, wasn’t she? Studying what she wanted, with friends and a social life for the first time in her life, this strange and exciting mystery taking her on an adventure unlike anything she’d ever been on before. That’s what she was here for and by god, she would get it.

And it was at the end of this last thought that Henry Cheng opened the door to his car and stepped out, as Henry as he could possibly be and smiling wide enough to light up the entire world. Jen wasn’t there when Pia and Michael had met (well, saw) Adam Parrish, so she hadn’t quite understood them when they tried to explain that he was very much like Gansey but also not. It seemed very hard to capture Gansey’s aura alone, let alone do both that and the exact opposite at the same time. 

Yet here he stood, another person who you wouldn’t think would be friends with Richard Gansey III but fit in with him regardless. She hadn’t expected someone like him, if she was being honest, but she could see it. The easy going face, ready smile, wild hand gestures, all of it, a foil to Gansey himself all while complimenting him perfectly. 

Which brought her back to the conversation at hand, in which it seemed that they would be going to a clothing shop but not necessary one that she had expected. And neither did Gansey, from the way he was protesting.

“-I have it all picked out, G-Man. Nothing for you to worry about!” 

“I said I wanted to look nice for her, not seem like I’m about to pull weeds out of the front yard.”

“First of all, I doubt you’ve ever touch a weed in your life. Second, Jane would be all about that shit, the Earth is her home and the dirt is her lifeblood, all that jazz. Third, and most importantly, jean’s will show off your nonexistent butt and the t-shirt puts those guns on display. It’s a win win situation. You look good for her, she gets to stare at you. Everyone’s happy.”

“I’m not!”

“Between the two of us, I’d say I have a better sense of what she likes, clothing wise.”

“That doesn’t have anything-“

“Dude, she’s tried to set fire to some of your clothing multiple times now. It’s a sign. A sign that you need to chill and let me do my job.”

“And this place will have what I need?”

“Yeah, it’s a small family owned place, quality’s good. We could have gone to Urban Outfitters, but that’s piss her off if she ever found out, so let’s avoid that.”

“I want to cry.”

“Be my guest, it’s a healthier coping mechanism that looking for a dead Welsh King.”

“You know what, Cheng-“

This continued in this way, eventually making their way towards the same coffee shop as before, thank god. As they ordered some coffee to go, she browsed the various pastries and muffins on display, discreetly observing them while also attempting to satisfy her stomach’s demands. The clothing store itself was within walking distance, which worked in her favor. There was no reason to rush her food when they were only a few minute’s walk away. She’d let her body rest for a bit, wait a decent amount of time, take a gander at date ready Gansey, and be on her merry way. 

That was the plan at least. But as soon as she was walked through the door, she was struck by a sight that forced all other thoughts and plans out of her mind.

Near the back of the tiny shop, standing in front of a small mirror, stood Gansey and Henry, observing the former’s reflection. With butt hugging jeans, a casual soft tee, and a leather jacket to complete the look, Gansey looked like someone entirely different. His hair was slightly mused and he was wearing proper sneakers for what seemed like the first time in his life and she knew he wasn’t a young boy, there were too many creases around his eyes and lines carved near his lips and a look on his face that just told you, but that didn’t stop her from thinking that this was it. If he was younger and more relaxed and free, this is who he would be.

And it unsettled her, the look on his face as he looked at himself, the uncertainty and self consciousness, as he tugged the jacket down and scuffed his shoes a little, too reminiscent of the teenage boy he would have been. 

No, that was wrong. It wasn’t him. It was her. She saw herself in how he stood and looked and walked right now, his figure a mirror that was uncomfortable to look at, too close to home to be able to process, reminding her of herself at a time when she least wanted to be herself and it was all too much and-

As she turned around and fled towards her dorm, she registered a few of the words of encouragement that Henry was saying, assuring Gansey that Blue would love the look and him and there was nothing to worry about. 

Laying in bed that night, mindlessly looking at her bedroom ceiling, Jenna thought about how lucky Gansey was to have a friend like Henry, willing to drive hours just to help him pick out a date outfit. She wondered if Pia or Anthony or anyone would ever do that for her. But most importantly, she hoped that he believed the words Henry had said. If she couldn’t have that type of love and support, at least he should. He deserved it.

That same night, a little bit earlier, Michael was walking across the quad, taking the path that went through a small garden, wanted to enjoy the fresh air after three hours of sitting in Chem lecture. It was this last minute decision that led him to the south gate, where he stumbled upon two figures sitting on the grass, leaning against each other.

This wasn’t an unusual sight, the location the perfect place to relax and wind down and just be. It was the timing, however, that made it a bit strange. At 10pm, the gardens were usually abandoned, which piqued his interest in the pair slightly. 

Taking a few steps closer to them, their identity solved any questions he had. As a professor, Gansey was very busy, and advertising his private life all over campus was usually frowned upon for staff. At night, however, with seemingly no prying eyes and a serene blanket of quiet, he could do whatever he wanted. And it seemed that what he currently wanted to do was lay his head on Blue’s lap, shifting slightly so that he was comfortable, a small, content sigh escaping his lips.

It was strange, how he knew with an eerie certainty that this was Gansey and Blue on the grass, staring up at the sky, and not any other pair that could possibly have come to mind. The glint of Gansey’s glasses, uniquely him, were a pretty strong clue, but everything else was a guess. He could be wrong. It could have been any other couple in the world, for all he knew about Gansey and Blue.

And yet it was them, he was sure. The small figure with spiky hair, slowly running her hands through Gansey’s hair, could only have been Blue, both peace and chaos at once. And Gansey, quiet in a way that he’d never seen before. [ Everything around them so still, as if the entire world had come together to make them as they were in that moment. Just two people in a big world, looking up at the stars that were once their home.](https://yesterdoesart.tumblr.com/post/184404952553/mention-we-loved-know-it-was-enough)

So Michael turned around and left, no wanting to disrupt such an intimate moment by walking by them. 

And when Eliza sent him a text right at that moment, he thanked a god he didn’t believe in for saving him from the embarrassment of being caught watching them.

And after reading said text, he went to the nearest grocery store and bought ice cream, enough for two people. And then he went to Jen’s dorm room, ready to be a shoulder to lean on for his friend.

And when Jenna opened the door, interrupted in her mindless staring, she found two tubs of Ben and Jerry’s, a pair of arms ready to hug her, and the thought that maybe she deserved happiness, too.

___________________

**It’s one thirty in the morning and I can hear the thunder and I can see the stars, and the rain feels warm against my skin.**  


**It’s one thirty two in the morning and it terrifies me, how much I love you.**  


**It’s a Thursday and it’s storming and maybe I can still see the stars through the rain because whatever part of me that has always been, has always known that part of you. I think my soul knew your name before I did.**  


**[It’s one thirty six in the morning, and I can’t sleep. And it’s okay. (via lostcap)](https://lostcap.tumblr.com/post/125992246623/its-one-thirty-in-the-morning-and-i-can-hear-the)**  



	5. Ronan

So at this point in our tale, every member of our council has interacted with our Gangsey at least once and left the meeting feeling a bit at ease and very confused. Knowing what they did, it was easy to spot the moments in which Gansey was remembering his friends or had just had a visit from them or maybe he’d just seen something that he thought they’d like. Whatever it was, the fact that Gansey was in love with his friends, and vice versa, was very apparent to them after they’d paid him the barest of attention at the right moments.

Which brings us back to both the end and start of the story. You see, this specific tale is ending, and when it does, our resident quintet and the rest of the college will have discovered the might and beauty of one Blue Sargent. But before that happens, we have to go back, back to Ronan Lynch, who if you remember, set off this whole chain of events in the first place. So it makes sense that the beginning of the end would also start with him, this time in Gansey’s office, with the door closed and locked but voices rising with tension and worry.

“-and I don’t know what to do at this point, I really don’t.”

“Have you considered stepping backing for a second and calming down? Because that seems like a really good idea right now, not gonna lie.”

It was at this time that Pia and Eliza entered the hall and made their way towards Gansey’s office, intending to talk about their grades on a previous assignment. Upon hearing the back and forth between the two voices, they paused and looked at each other. 

After a second or two, a silent tussle began. Pia attempted to drag them towards the direction in which they came from, wanting to give Gansey some privacy and, perhaps more importantly, avoid the potential embarrassment that would come with being caught. Eliza, however, was of the “Go Big or Go Home” mentality, struggling to break away and listen in on the conversation at the same time. In the end, sheer stubbornness and determination won, Pia sulking off in a corner while Eliza hovered near the doorway, leaning in to hear as much as possible. From the sounds of it, there was some trouble in paradise and the other person in the room was called in to fix it, the middleman between Gansey and Blue. And from the sound of it, he found this entire situation beyond hysterical.

“You’ll talk to her, won’t you?” Gansey asked, sounding anxious even a room and a wall away. “She thinks I’m dumb sometimes or thinks too much but she talks about practically everything with you and-”

“Dude,” the unknown person interrupted, breaking off what was sure to have been an hour long explanation/case for his request. “I said I’ll do it but there’s literally no need. Call her and ask what’s up or go take a small vacation to visit her or shut up and sit tight since you’re not going to do any of those. It’s all pointless either way. She probably got caught up discovering a new species of weeds and the dirt it lives in seems more interesting than talking with you.”

“Wait, you think so? Oh god, no wonder why, that explains so many-”

“First, you need to stop overthinking; second, calm down; and third, I’m leaving.”

The sound of a chair moving could be heard, footsteps approaching her, and before Eliza could do anything, the door swung open, the stranger’s body twisting around to say one last thing to Gansey.

“Stop worrying and look over the nerdy journal on your desk. The maggot’s a busy person, places to save, people to champion, empires to topple. The moment she finds a soft place to lay down, she’ll call you. “

And with that, he turned around and stared directly at open space. Open space, which, if either Pia or Eliza were tall enough, would have been their eyes, or their shoulders at the very least. As it was, his line of sight went over and past Eliza’s alarmed face and connected with the huddled figure that was Pia, looking like a deer caught in the headlights despite doing absolutely nothing. 

The door behind him closed, he stared at them, his icy blue eyes taking in seemingly every little detail about them. 

It was in this silence, one that stretched for an eternity, that the girls took an opportunity to stare back and observe, open and unapologetic in their staring in a way that they hadn’t been for any of the others they had happened to stumble across.

His shaved head lent him the appearance he was so obviously striving for, one of carelessness and attitude and power and a little something else mixed in. The smirk on his face didn’t help the image he was projecting either, the small twist at the corner of his mouth conveying far more about what he thought about them than Pia would have liked. But it was the way he stood, both open and closed off to the world, that piqued her interest, made her want to know which member of the “Gangsey” he was, how he’d met them all, and what role he played in the complexity that was Richard Campbell Gansey III. 

Before she could find her voice and ask some very important questions, the first being “What’s your name?”, he spoke.

With a jerk of his head and vague motion towards some other part of campus, he said, “Let’s go,” moving towards the exit. 

At this angle, she could a tattoo peeking outside of his black T-shirt, curling up his neck and fanning out as if protecting him. It made Eliza pause for a second, but that small hesitation was all it took for him to turning around. 

Arching his eyebrows in question, he asked, “You guys aren’t coming?”

Thankfully, Pia had enough of a working brain to respond, because Eliza didn’t think she had it in her to look at the man, let alone follow him to wherever he was taking them.

“We don’t know you, so I’m sure you’ll understand why we’re a bit hesitant to follow you to god knows where. Maybe if you were to give us a name or who you’re here to meet, we can clear up the confusion and point you in the right direction.”

“Oh, I think I’m at the right place. My name is Ronan Lynch, and you may not know me but you most definitely know about Blue Sargent. Now, let’s go shall, yeah? You probably have a shit ton of questions and it would be my honor to answer them for you.”

With the last words in and his piece said, Ronan swiveled around with a flourish and walked away, his confident stride telling them that he was sure they’d follow.

But he wasn’t wrong, was he? Looking at Eliza and catching her eye, Pia knew that they would listen to what he had to say, for curiosity alone, if nothing else.

And that’s how Eliza found herself at the very same cafe where she had shown Jen and Anthony that first picture, with the man in the photo sipping on a smoothie, the slurping noises filling in the very loud silence between the three of them. He also had a raven perched over his shoulder which was eyeing her fries but at this point, she was beyond it. She had bigger concerns at the moment and if the stupid bird wanted her food, he’d have to fight her for it.

“So, which one of you stalked Adam at the cafe and which one of you was at the store with Henry?”

The sudden question jolted Eliza out of her thoughts, forcing her to look at Ronan, who was smirking like he knew exactly what was going through her head.

“I know that one,” he said, pointing at Pia, “was there for Parrish’s heart to heart with Gansey. But you don’t seem like the one Cheng saw. Anyone else in your ragtag crew that isn’t here?”

Gathering her courage and forcing herself to speak, Eliza replied, “Our friend Jen and a few others aren’t here. But I still don’t see why you brought us here and what Blue has to do with it.” She managed to say it all without her voice cracking or quivering, so she was very proud of herself. And if she ended it all with a slight rise of her chin and her shoulders pushed back and squared, well, Ronan didn’t seem to mind. If anything, there seemed to be something else respect in his eyes. It was hard to tell though. It could have easily been laughter or amusement or a trick of the light.

“Ok, so you haven't met her yet. Thought that would have happened by now but fuck it, this is better. I actually get to see it. Oh God, Cheng owes me $50, this is great. We’ve all been keeping track of how you’re doing,” he explained, noticing that both Eliza and Pia seemed to be confused, not understanding what he was saying. “Sargent’s a tiny little shitstorm and it’s always fantastic to see her meet someone for the first time. The raw power in that meeting… I’d chop off my dick to be able to witness the first time she met Gansey Sr. and the Mrs., but that’s too late. This’ll have to do instead. Any questions?” The last was said with such a shit eating grin in place that Eliza almost didn’t notice the question in the first place.

Pia, however, didn’t have that problem.

“I don’t mean to seem rude,” she interjected, speaking before anyone else could, “but you know about what we’re doing?”

“Know?” Ronan scoffed, leaving back in his chair and crossing his arms. “I practically fueled the search for the first few years! That time Gansey arrived late with hickeys and Blue had to drive him, who do you think turned off his alarm and made that possible? The constant threats to his his clothing, who made you aware of that? The connection to Pygmy Tyrants, who would have ever though to look there? It was all me, assholes. Bow down to your king.”

“But…”

“It’s sort of getting boring now though, so I’ll probably help you guys and speed this process up. That sound good to you? When do you want the big reveal to take place? School’s almost over right? This shit has to happen fast but we can’t do it without…” 

Here, he fumbled for his cellphone, which looked brand new and unused. It could possibly have been because he had bought a new one recently but from the way Ronan opened the phone, looked at the screen, and started typing, Eliza was leaning more towards unused.

“Alright,” he finally said, glancing up at the two girls, “I’m calling Sargent to figure out the whole mess with Gansey. If she has time, you’ll see her soon. If she doesn’t, guess I’ll have to keep fucking with you guys till next year.”

While the phone ringed, Pia and Eliza waited with bated breath, finally about to hear the voice of the one person they’d spent more time on than anyone else in the world.

“Hey, maggot, you mind if I put you on speaker? Your fanclub’s here with me and they want to hear their goddess’s voice at last.”  
“...”  
“Yeah, I’ll put you on. Don’t speak to them though. They want to be blessed with your words in person.” 

He pressed a button on the phone and put it on the table, seemingly taking all of his effort to do so. Pia found herself unconsciously leaning forward and a quick glance towards Eliza told her she was doing the same. This was, after all, the closest to a reveal that they’d possibly get. If it was happening, she want to take it in at its fullest.

“Am I there? Can you hear me?”

And suddenly it was if her entire world was flooded with color, going from black and white to full with rainbows within seconds. Pia couldn't see her face since it was an audio call but she could hear her voice and it’s exactly how she thought it would sound like while being nothing like it at all. Smooth and calm, it also had a sense of urgency to it, as if the speaker was already thinking about the future, where they needed to be and what they needed to do, even as Blue Sargent was speaking to you and giving you her full attention. There wasn’t anything specifically feminine about her voice but then again, it wasn’t important when simply listening to her put Pia at more ease than anything in the recent past ever could. She could see how wild, adventurous, passionate, feeling Gansey could have found a home in this woman.

“Yeah, you’re on. I wanted to talk about Gansey, idiot said you’re avoiding him? That he thinks you want to end the relationship but you don’t know how to do it?”

“What?!? Why in the name of Glendower would he think that?”

The outrage in her voice, the confusion and hurt in her voice, that’s what got to Pia. These were a group of people who, as they’d proved time and time again, would do anything and everything for each other. The pain of one was the pain of all and Eliza and her didn’t belong here, in this private moment between two friends, one counseling and advising the other.

So she got up, and pulling Eliza along with her, nodded at Ronan before turning around in the direction of her next class. It was a bit difficult, with Eliza subtly trying to escape so she could listen to the duo talk some more but this wasn’t something Pia was willing to compromise on. If the universe wanted them to know how that conversation went, it would find a way to tell them. And if it didn’t, well, worse things have happened. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, regardless of what the others thought.

As it was, the universe seemed to be smiling on them. A few days later, it couldn’t have been more than a week since that fateful encounter, all five of them were sitting in one of Gansey’s classes together. It was one of the last topics before the final and they should have been paying attention to what he was saying but none of them could seem to find the necessary strength to do so. Instead, they just watched him as a whole, his behaviors, his actions, his expression, any tiny minutiae of his that might give them a hint as to what was going on.

Because the Gansey of the present was nothing like the Gansey of a few days past. He was smiling constantly, so much so that he seemed to be trying to hide it behind his hands or some books or any object that was within reach. It was as if he was glowing, the happiness that was quite obviously radiating off of him affecting his students too. It was a beautiful, sunny May evening, one that every Happily Ever After seemed to end on, but no one seemed eager to get up and leave. The atmosphere, the company, the general aura of the room. It was all so soothing and calm that Pia would bet everything she had, which wasn’t much, on the fact that Blue was the reason behind this change in mood. Gansey must have fixed this with her for the better because there was no way that he would be walking around at ease like this if the love of his life had left him.

As she was thinking this, there was a commotion in the back of the room, a door slamming open, that made everyone, including Gansey, turn their heads around to look.

There, in a black wife beater, ripped jeans, tattoo out in the open and raven on his shoulder, stood Ronan Lynch, shit eating grin pasted on his face, completing the look. And then, aware that he had the entire room’s attention, or maybe because of it, he slowly walked to where Gansey stood in the center, chaos in his eyes and amusement in his gaze the entire way down.

Looking at Gansey, Pia saw that he seemed to be just as confused as she was, although the smile on his lips pointed more towards fondness than the warriness that she was feeling. But for once, she didn’t want to look at Gansey and observe him and his reactions. This time, she was fully focused on Ronan, who had come here with a purpose, if the wooden box at his side and the swagger in his steps were anything to go by.

And what a purpose it was.

Standing directly before Gansey, he hooked their arms together and led him to the chair near his desk, pulling it out so that it was in full view of the students, and then gestured for him to sit down. Once Gansey was properly seated, he dropped down on one knee, which elicited some gasps from the gathered students, a raised brow from Eliza, and a small chuckle from Gansey. 

Looking directly at Gansey, Ronan moved the wooden mixed in front of him, unlocking the clasp. But before he opened it and showed them what was inside, which was clearly what had Anthony dancing in his seat, he paused. And then said “Blue Sargent sends her regard and her love.”

With that said, he flipped open the top and took out a blue silk pillow, much like what was used to carry Cinderella’s glass slipper. But this shoe was’t fortunate enough to carry something as beautiful. Not enough close. On the pillow lay a pair of boat shoes, lime green and black and maybe a hint of neon pink but not nearly as captivating as she should be for the amount of money that was spent on them.

Amid giggles and smirks and smiles and the occasional camera flash, Ronan gently took off Gansey’s dress shoes, rolled down his socks, and slipped the boat shoes on. 

Then, with Gansey still on the chair and the Pia shaking her head and the rest of the class still confused, he stole Gansey’s old shoes, packed them in the box with the pillow, and was off to a running start, the raven on his shoulder causing a commotion, faint sounds of “Kerrah!” being heard minutes after they'd made their exit.

That, however, was slightly into the future. More in the present, Gansey let out a laugh, deep and joyous and from the stomach in a way that true laughs always were. And hearing that laugh, it was like a sign, a sign of something good about to happen in her future. After all, with something as beautiful as that laugh couldn’t be the forebearer of bad news. She couldn’t wait to see what it brought her.


	6. Blue

It was the day of their final in Gansey’s class when it finally happened. There was nothing really climatic about it, just a bunch of students walking out of a room after three hours with fried brains and cramped hands. So basically, any other day. 

This day, however, the group of friends gathered in the hallway around Gansey’s class, waiting for each other to finally be done. When they huddled together, it wasn’t for a debriefing on the latest evidence that Gansey’s girlfriend was an assassin or to puzzle out what the cryptic, three word letter they had received meant.

This time, they were a normal group of students, comparing the answers they got in their last final of the year, savoring the last few moments together before summer truly began. Ronan’s words were still in the back of Pia and Eliza’s minds but then again, wasn’t that the case for anything Gansey related? But that was neither here nor there and they were making plans to meet up at some point before the semester began when Anthony turned around, and cocking his head, waited for something to happen. 

Something to remember when it comes to Anthony is that he saw things a bit differently than others and had a sixth sense of a sort. There was nothing exact about it, he couldn’t predict the future or sense feelings or change the fate of the world. But he did have a strange sensation from time to time and more likely than not, something unexpected happen. Usually, it took awhile for the something unexpected to actually occur. A day, maybe two. Sometimes weeks or months.

This time, however, that wasn’t the case.

Not one minute after he turned around, a woman walked past them, a flurry of activity following in her wake. The woman herself was walking at a normal pace, strolling to Gansey’s classroom, opening the door, and walking in. 

And yet, it seemed as if time itself had stopped, allowing these two separate worlds to collide.

Spiky black hair tucked everywhich way with pins and barretes, necklaces upon necklaces layered over the three pairs of ripped tee shirts she was wearing, both pants and a flowy skirt underneath, enough rings to begin a jewelry store, a few dangly earrings, and combat boots and a leather jacket to complete the entire look. It was a bit much by almost anyone’s standards but she pulled it off with a panache that could only be rivaled by Gansey and his neon polo shirts.

It was in this awe filled silence, looking longingly at the door through which Blue Sargent had just passed, now closed, that Ronan Lynch and company made their presence known.

Clearing his throat in an absurd yet thoroughly Ronan manner, the dreamer asked the students, “Mind picking your mouths up from the ground? I don’t think the floor appreciates all that weight.”

Smirking, he leaned back and watched his words do their job, as each of the friends slowly came back to their senses, taking in Adam and Henry, both of whom were standing right next to him.

In the awkward moments that followed, Jen decided to bite the bullet and speak at last, preferring to get what she needed to do over with, rather than dragging it out for all of eternity.

“I just want to apologize,” she began, loud enough to gather everyone’s attention, “for behaving the way we did. We shouldn’t have intruded on your private moments and conversations with Gansey. I realized after the fact and wanted to apologize but didn’t really know how.” She shuffled her feet, feeling strange with everyone's eyes on her and no one to deflect the attention away from her. Or so she thought.

Smiling kindly, Adam waved away her concerns. “It’s fine, you didn’t mean any harm. Besides,” he said, a twinkle in his eyes, “I know a thing or two about how captivating Gansey can be. And forget about Blue. She’s a hurricane, just comes in and changes your entire life.”

“I wouldn’t say Hurricane,” Henry piped up, pushing off of the wall where he was leaning. “She’s more like the moon, pulling you into her grasp, swaying you, very subtle, you don’t even know she controls you.”

At that, Ronan swung around, his face contorted into a bewildered expression, conveying as much confusion as it was possible to convey with a slight twist of the lips and a raising of his eyebrows. “In what world is Blue motherfucking Sargent subtle? Have you seen her? How long have you known her? At least a decade? And the best fucking word you could come up with was subtle?” The words themselves were condescending enough but the way they were delivered, looking directly at him with a sneer ready to go, made it more than obvious that it was a challenge, one that Henry Cheng would rather die than back down from, especially when it came to his friendship with Blue.

“I was attempting to be poetic, Lynch,” he rebutted, feet placed far apart and hands gesturing wildly. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand, since you’re-”

“Why don’t we all settle down?” Adam interrupted, stepping in between the two. Then, turning around, he spoke to the group of friends, who had all been watching them closely, seeing them all interact together for the first time. “I think they’re done with their tearful reunion, so we can go in now. Why don’t you come with us and say hi? We wouldn’t want all your hard work to go to waste, now would we?” Shaking his head with a smile, he opened the door to the classroom, ushering them all in.

It was a strange experience for all of them, being greeting by the very people they had stalked and making conversation with them and just witnessing their interactions as a group. But nothing in the world could have prepared them for what they saw when they walked in, the end of an era and the culmination of all they had done.

Standing in front of Ganey, Blue was leaning into him, practically sinking at that point. As for Gansey, he was kissing her forehead, tender in a way that should not have been allowed for someone who was currently wearing grey boat shoes with a salmon colored polo shirt. 

And maybe someone sighed when they saw it. Maybe Pia let out an “AWWW” and maybe Jen elbowed her. Maybe Eliza and Anthony fitsbumped and maybe Michael had to clean his glasses because they were “fogged up.” Maybe Ronan hugged Adam from behind and they just soaked in the image of two of the people they loved most in the world just being with each other. Maybe Henry shed a tear or two.

But that didn’t matter. None of it. Because when the duo realized they had an audience, they broke apart and turned around.

Hit with Blue Sargent's million dollar smile, her jewelry clinking and tinkling all around her, all any of the quintet could do was gape. And what she said next… Well, it just about killed them.

“You’re Gansey’s favorite students, right? I’ve heard so much about you guys!”


	7. Epilogue

So we’ve reached the conclusion of our tale and I’m sure you’re wondering what happened after that.

Did any of the five friends survive that encounter? What did Blue think of their efforts? Did Ronan kill Henry later on? How is Gansey’s Polo shirt collection? Is Adam as gorgeous as always? 

The only question I can answer is the last one. The answer is yes. It’s always yes. Anything else is a lie and blasphemy. 

The rest, however, you’ll have to ask the person who saw all of this. Now, in the beginning, I told you it wasn’t from his point of view. And it wasn’t. He told me the tale and I’ve been telling you. But he only told me the story up to a certain point, wanting to save the best parts to tell you in person. After all, he loves his friends so much and any opportunity where he doesn’t talk about them is a missed one.

I understand that you’re a bit hesitant to make this journey with me across the ley line. It’s understandable. The world as you leave it right now might not be the one you return to when you come back.

However, I think it’s worth it. I can’t tell you why, not yet, but I need you to trust me. Trust me with all your heart. That’s the only way this will work out.

Oh? You’ve decided to join me? That’s wonderful! Just step this way, right over here. Yes, that's right. Be careful crossing that road, it’s quite dangerous. See that house over there? That’s our destination. It looks a lot like Monmouth Manufacturing, doesn’t it, with a bit of 300 Fox Way blended in? Yes, well that is true. You recreate where ever you were most happy in the world. That’s what I would do, at least. You too? Well, what can I say, great minds think alike. 

We’re almost there now. Just take your shoes off right over here. Yes, that's perfectly fine. Follow this hallway and take the first door on the right. He’s very excited for your arrival.

Who is he?

It’s Noah, of course!

And he’s so glad to finally meet you.


End file.
